Okay, we have a day off, and need a serious re-grouping or smacks up aside some heads.
As bad as things have looked, we are still tied for the last WC slot, with the A's having one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league.
I'm not a big believer in the playoffs are a crap shoot theory, but some of you are, so at least you guys should not count the Sox out. A crap shoot is a crapshoot, so anyone in has a shot, right?
We have the next 9 games, including another day off on Monday, to make a statement.
Home for 3 vs TEX and 3 vs MIN before going to CLE for 3.
That will be followed by 9 games that may make or break us:
3 vs TBR at home
3 @CWS
3 @ SEA
If we are still in it, even if a game or 2 behind on Sept 15th, we have a shot. We finish the season with...
8 at home:
3 v BAL
2 v NYM (still in it)
3 v NYY
then 6 on the road:
3 @ BAL
3 @ WSH
Here's how the next 9 games shape up:
TEX Sale (+1 day rest)
TEX ERod (+1)
TEX Eovaldi
off
MIN Houck (+2)
MIN Pivetta (+1)
MIN Sale (+1)
@CLE ERod (+1)
@CLE Eovaldi (+1)
@CLE Houck
The series in TB might line up with Pivetta, Sale & ERod.
There is still hope, but we need our offense to pick it up, especially by hitting our HRs with men on base, which of course, implies we need to get on base more often.
We need our defense to make plays, when we need them most. I can't expect them to learn how to play good D overnight, so we will just need to get lucky by having our mistakes made when they count least.
Our pen needs to rebound, and maybe Richards and Perez can provide the boost they need.
We need our starters to come through.
That's a lot of ifs, and maybe we don't need all at once to pull out enough games to, but we have to do better on a number of fronts to right the ship.